Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365 is a collection of software and cloud services. Some popular ones include:
- office apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote
- email, messaging, calling and calendar tools (Outlook and Teams)
- cloud file sharing and storage services (OneDrive and SharePoint)
- a generative AI assistant (Copilot Chat)
- the Microsoft 365 Copilot web and mobile app that you can use to access all your apps
Details
- For
- Students & employees
- Cost
- Free
- Platform
- Web, Windows, Mac, iPhone & iPad, Android
- Privacy
- UVic data privacy information for Microsoft 365
Licensing
Basic (A1) licenses give access to the Microsoft 365 web apps and mobile apps for iPhone, iPad and Android.
- If you're an employee, you'll get a basic license automatically.
Full (A5) licenses also give access to the desktop apps, available for Windows and Mac.
- If you're a student, you'll get a full license automatically.
- If you're an employee and you have a basic license, you can upgrade it using UVic Online Services.
- If you're an affiliate or emeriti, you'll only get a basic license. The department you're working with can buy you a license upgrade.
Apps & services
Office apps
Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote are part of Microsoft 365. Everyone has access to the web and mobile apps. A full license gives access to desktop apps as well.
OneDrive
OneDrive is your personal cloud file storage service. You can access your OneDrive on the web and from virtually any computer, smartphone or tablet. Use it to share and collaborate on files, sync and back up your work on your laptop.
Email & calendars
UVic's email and calendar services are powered by Exchange Online. Access your email with the Outlook web app or desktop and mobile apps. It also provides tools to manage and share calendars, schedule meetings and book resources.
Teams
Teams provides text chat, video and voice calling, and a workspace where you can use many Microsoft 365 apps. It also supports shared workspaces called teams, which are used for shared messaging, meetings, scheduling and collaborative tasks. You can add phone service to Teams with Teams Phone.
SharePoint
SharePoint is a collaborative platform for departments and other groups. Use it to create intranet sites, store and organize content, and find and share information.
Data analytics and automation
Some low-code programming and BI products—Power Apps, Power Automate and Power BI—are included for free. Advanced data analytics are available as an add-on license.
We also support:
- ClipChamp: Make and edit videos
- Forms: Customize surveys and quizzes, get real-time results
- Lists: Allows users to create, share and track data inside lists
- Minecraft: Education Edition: Game-based platform that inspires creative, inclusive learning through play
- Planner: Create plans, organize and assign tasks, share files and get progress updates
- Project: Develop project plans, assign tasks, track progress and manage budgets
- To do: List and manage your tasks
- Stream: Share videos of classes, meetings, presentations and training sessions
- Sway: Create interactive reports and presentations
- Visio: Simplify and communicate complex information visually
- Whiteboard: Ideate and collaborate on a freeform canvas designed for pen, touch and keyboard
The apps and services included in Microsoft 365's educations licenses are constantly evolving. We aim to make all these tools available. However, we often need to review new products and features for privacy, security and data retention issues before we can fully enable or support them.
Add-on licenses
UVic departments can buy add-on licenses for Microsoft 365 products. These include extra full licenses for emeriti and affiliates, and additional products (like Visio and Project) for employees and students.
Add-ins, apps & features requests
There's a large ecosystem of apps, add-ins and extensions for Microsoft 365 products. Some add features to apps directly. Many others provide integrations with third-party applications.
Unfortunately, new apps and add-ins can open UVic up to data breaches, security threats and FOIPPA violations. Microsoft does some quality assurance for software they add to their app and add-in repositories. However, BC's laws and UVic's policies require more diligence to protect the privacy of our students and employees. We have to do internal reviews (including privacy impact assessments) of new features, which can be complicated and take months.
We welcome requests for new features and add-ins. While we can't respond to them right away, your input helps us prioritize requests and make the most impact. Contact IT support first to see if the feature you want is already on our list. If it's not, complete a request form and email it to us.
We've already reviewed and approved:
When a Microsoft 365 feature is requested, many considerations factor into the work required to enable it:
- Technical requirements. Does the feature require technical pre-requisites we are unable to configure for UVic Microsoft 365 accounts?
- Licensing requirements. Does the feature require licensing or come with a cost to UVic?
- Privacy considerations. Does the feature’s personal information collection, use, disclosure, storage or retention practices require UVic to conduct a privacy impact assessment?
- Security considerations. Is it safe for UVic to trust the requested feature with UVic data?
- Functionality. Does the feature provide capabilities that are already available to UVic through existing Microsoft 365 services? Is the feature not suitable for a post-secondary institution?
- Prioritization. How much time will it take to review the items above, and how do we ensure that time is spent on features that will provide the most benefit?
Get help now
Contact IT support:
- for more detailed information about Microsoft 365 apps and services
- for help accessing Microsoft 365 on the web
- for help installing and signing in to Microsoft 365 apps for Windows, Mac and mobile devices
- to request a new app, add-in or feature